Slovenia automotive

Slovenia struggles to meet 2030 greenhouse gas targets

July 12th 2018 | Slovenia | Commercial and other vehicles

Event

In 2016 total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 13.1% lower than in 1986. This lower emission rate is related to lower emissions in the energy sector (‑33.3%), and in industry and constructing (‑64.3%), but are currently 5.1% higher than in 2015, mostly owing to the transport sector.

Analysis

Slovenia has ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the extension to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, another agreement under the UNFCCC, and is committed to following sustainability goals on climate change. Since accession to the EU in 2004 greener, more sustainable public policies, as well as rising public awareness about environmental protection, are evident.

The biggest producers of GHG emissions in Slovenia are the transport and energy sectors. Emissions from transport are the main contributor to air pollution and probably the most difficult obstacle for Slovenia in meeting its EU emission-reduction goals for 2030. One reason is that Slovenia is a transit country, connecting the heart of Europe with the Balkan Peninsula. Secondly, the public transport system is poorly developed. The share of renewable energy in transport is 1.6%—one of the lowest in the EU and far below the EU average of 7.1%. The government's long-term strategy has set an optimistic goal that 200,000 cars (17% of the total number of cars) will be either electric or hybrids by 2030. In 2017 this number was about 1,200. To achieve this, the government is subsidising electric and hybrid cars by €7,500 and €4,500 respectively.

According to Eurostat data, the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption in Slovenia was 21.9% in 2016, higher than the European average of 17%, showing a moderate improvement from 15% in 2008. As a result, the 2025 goal of 25% seems achievable. Waste management is one of Slovenia's success stories; the recycling rate of municipal waste was at 57.7% in 2016, one of the highest in EU, up from 22.4% in 2010. However, it is likely that Slovenia will struggle to meet its emissions targets by 2030 with its current dependency on carbon emissions in both the transport and the energy sector.

Impact on the forecast

Although the government will work towards adopting more renewable and sustainable energy sources and reducing emissions, it is likely to remain a secondary area of focus.